Ai-Naidar Vocabulary
A lexicon of known Ai-Naidari words and their meanings. A aimeth [ eye METH ], ''(noun)'' oneness. aisim [ eye SEEM ], ''(noun)'' value; only applies to people. In this case, a person's worth, as measured by the things important to Ai-Naidar: the size of their family, their contribution to society and how well they fulfill their ishas. ajzelin [ ah jzehl EEN ], ''(noun)'' touch-lover; beloved; someone allowed to touch your entire body in a non-sexual context at any time and in any situation or company--this word requires it be mutual on each other's parts. This blanket permission is rarely given and always a special intimacy. akuvrash [ ah koo VRAASH ], ''(noun)'' the local destruction of an individual's community, caused by their inability or unwillingness to accept aid, love or form connections. alurais [ ah loo RAYZ ], ''(noun)'' loyalty, allegiance, adoration. ama [ ah MAH ], ''(noun)'' to long or yearn. aridkedi [ ah rid KEH dee ], ''(noun)'' a country merchant. arvarnari [ ar VAR nee ], ''(noun)'' halo or corona. arvarnari jzilni [ ar VAR nee JZIL nee ], ''(noun)'' “the halo of the world.” ashgeten [ aash geh TEHN ], ''(noun)'' a person who is capable of reaching out to someone who is too broken to respond appropriately. The quality of being capable of this is called geten and is one of the rarer forms of esar (quality that makes one fit to lead). ashlet [ ASH let ], ''(noun)'' someone who works harmoniously with another, complementing their strengths and compensating for their weaknesses. atse [ ah TSEH ], ''(noun)'' emotional outlets; anything that allows a person to relieve emotional stress in a safe, healthy and socially acceptable way. aunera [ au NEH rah ], ''(noun, sing. aunerai)'' 1. a color--emerald green, very lush and deep, with a slight tint of blue. 2. anything or anyone alien, from people and worlds to emotions and thoughts (though more rarely used for the latter). B bairek narili [ BEHR ek nee REE lee ] , ''(verb)'' to incise wounds while applying the dye. This ritual often cripples, and sometimes kills those it is bestowed upon. Only Thirukedi is permitted to bestow such marks. bikun [ BEE koon ], ''(noun)'' the inability to form deep attachments to those who are capable of returning one's feelings. biret [ bee REHT ], ''(noun)'' ambition: defined among Ai-Naidar as a desire to be superior to others by accruing more wealth, achievement, power or fame than is appropriate for a person of one's caste and rank. Considered a sickness that requires Correction. C D dare [ DAWR eh ], ''(noun)'' family; those related to an individual or under his/her protection as a family (important: this includes chosen-family as well as blood-family). dashalin [ dah shah LEEN ], ''(interjection)'' "What is repented of is forgiven." Since the public condemnation of wrong-doing is one of the duties of the Ai-Naidar, it is not uncommon for people's misdemeanors to be aired in public. It is essential that those who are so seen are assumed to have paid their debts, repented and are "clean" again. This interjection is an expression of that forgiveness. diqed [ DEE kehd ], ''(noun, sing. diqedi)'' mentor; one who can no longer perform all the duties of his/her caste-rank and is now primarily engaged in aiding others to perfect their own understanding of their duties. Often a role that falls to the elderly or disabled, but can sometimes land on one who is very good at teaching. diqut [ DEE koot ], ''(noun)'' a herbal compound commonly given to males who want children but are having physical issues performing the act that begets them. Has also come to mean any physically unpleasant or difficult duty that has desirable results. E echera [ eh CHAIR ah ], ''(noun)'' -- administrator; specifically, an assistant or planner or scheduler or administrator who is so on top of things they seem to be everywhere at once, and yet never seem ruffled. This word used to mean "asset" and has since migrated to mean, specifically, someone who is one. eker [ eh KAIR ], ''(noun)'' shame. emeth [ eh MEHTH ], ''(noun)'' perspective; the ability to see oneself in the context of everything else. The cultivation of perspective is considered a necessary requirement for contentment, empathy and healthy, normal behaviors, and many soul-sicknesses are said to be the result of a failure of perspective. emethil [ eh meh THIHL ], ''(noun)'' chain; biological concept, of self as part of a long, unbroken line of blood family, from ancestors to children. Has connotations of eternity and immortality, but without the strong sense of individual persistence. enaima [ eh nai MAH ], ''(verb) to let someone go; to let them grow up; to let them take care of themselves. Most often used in a parental context, but not limited to that relationship. '''enil [ eh NEEL ] , ''(verb)' see obliquely; to look at something and see not what is obvious to others. A necessary quality for an Exception, but also useful in others who need to solve problems. '''eritkedi [ eh RIT keh dee ], ''(noun)' city noble. '''esar [ eh SAAR ], ''(noun)' the quality that makes one a superb leader; this is a sublime thing composed of your character, your actions, your social position (rank and caste), your upbringing. There are many different kinds of esar. '''eshan [ eh SHAHN ], ''(noun)' rivers; running water. '''evrul [ EH vrool ] , ''(verb)' to assign blame and innocence to the proper parties; to correctly place people in the roles of victim, perpetrator, bystander and abettor. A legal term referring to a duty of priests, Guardians and those serving as judges. F '''fada [ fa DAH ], ''(noun)' guilt, improper; used only when a person feels guilt for a situation for which they are not responsible. Sometimes incorrectly translated "survivor's guilt", but is more broadly applicable to any instance where a person takes on guilt for something undeserving. '''fathriked [ FA thri KEHD ], ''(noun, sing. Fathrikedi) ' Decoration, an Ai-Naidar social caste. '''fol [ fohl ] , ''(adjective)' imperfect. G '''geles [ geh LESS ], ''(noun)' contrasting note; that which, against a backdrop of similar feelings, items or things offers a distinct counter without which one would lose the appreciation of that which one is experiencing. '''gelme sherani [ GEHL meh sheh RAH nee ], ''(noun), plural gelme shera the humble plant. H '''helun [ heh LOON ], ''(noun)'' camaraderie, particularly among those in dangerous or difficult professions. hhaza [ HHAH zah (extended 'h') ], ''(noun)'' caste-rank. I ieleten [ ye LEH ten ], ''(noun)'' the failure that comes from attempting to make one's way alone in a situation or environment where one absolutely needs aid. ilaven raji [ ee LAH ven RAH zhee ], ''(noun)'' strong pavement. Terminology used in the game Rivers and Bridges. isaludar [ ih SAH loo DAWR ], ''(noun)'' knowledge; the vast body of knowledge that exists outside yourself, as a resource in other people, which can only be accessed through other people. ishan [ ee SHAWN ], ''(noun)'' appreciation of fullness of a thing's span, from its inception to its ending; implies that it is worthy at every moment of its existence, and acknowledges that it is different in the beginning from how it is at its peak and how it is at its end, and that this too is part of its worth. ishas [ EES haas ], ''(noun)'' spirit; very specifically, your ishas is what defines your caste and rank no matter caste and rank you're born to. This is your social identity (which for the Ai-Naidar is inextricable from your personality and who you are). On a very real level, you simply are your ishas. ishil [ ih SHEEL ], ''(noun)'' belief. iekuvren [ ye KOOV rehn ], ''(noun)'' destructive independence; in which a person believes they do not require or must not ask for the aid of others, or the connection of relationships, or love when in fact they do and must, and push all attempts of those who care about them away. This quality leads to akuvrash. J jzirudar [ jzih roo DAH ], ''(noun)'' recipients of a tangible gift (formed from "jzirusir" to receive a tangible gift); orphans. K kirana [ kee RAH nah ], ''(noun)'' religion. Note: this word is neither singular nor plural. It cannot be made into a singular form because there are no "religions" there is only "religion." kreva [ KREH vah ], ''(noun)'' waste water. L let [ LEHT ], ''(noun)'' tea. let aidaremethil [ LEHT aye DAH reh meh THEEL ], ''(noun)'' "tea-plant symbiosis;" the state of working with another to achieve a mutual success. let arva [ LEHT AHR vah ], ''(noun)'' tea vine. letemereth eh mehr ETH , ''(noun)'' the success gained through working in conjunction with another. letshilva [ leht SHEEL vah ], ''(noun)'' complete usefulness; when every last particle of utility has been wrung from something. lijzan [ lii JZAHN ], ''(noun)'' masks. M makadled melesholi [ ], ''(noun)'' the kind of knowledge one can only absorb while free of excess stimulation. manais [ mah NEYES ], ''(noun)'' duties a lord owes to those in his or her charge. melefar [ meh leh FAHR ], ''(noun)'' veil-glow meleshol [ meh leh SHOHL ], ''(noun)'' a portmanteau of the word for veil-glow and the word for breathpause (“shol”). meleshol vekka [ meh leh SHOHL veh kkah (long 'k') ], ''(noun)'' “lights-out pilgrims.” menured [ MEHN yoo rehd ], ''(noun, sing. menuredi)'' loyal servants of a liegelord or liegelady; a special connotation of fidelity and intimacy. The liegelord/lady counterpart is masured(i). meqet [ meh KEHT ], ''(noun)'' duty; in particular, one's duty to the easily overlooked, without whom one would never be what one is: family, society, those who came before you. The saying "standing on the shoulders of giants" is a perfect illustration of meqet. merethek [ MARE-eh-thehk ], ''(noun)'' A ritual in which someone of lower caste-rank pledges fealty to one of higher, and both acknowledge their mutual duties, lord to vassal. During this ritual, the higher-ranked paints a ribbon pattern on the lower with a dye (or bleach). This dye fades over the course of a year, at which point the ritual is observed again. Only Thirukedi uses permanent dyes. mesiln [ meh SEELN ], ''(verb)'' to submit; a virtue. Everyone submits to someone or something in Kherishdar, and to do so with grace is admired. metteth [ meh TEHTH ] , ''(verb)'' To deal with a crisis and then have any necessary emotional collapse to wait before reacting. N naimeqet [ neye meh KEHT ] , ''(adjective)'' legally antiquated; used of customs, laws or traditions that are held over from earlier times and are not strictly consonant with existing custom. nalan [ nah LAWN ], ''(noun)'' influence; one's effect on others (conscious or not). nalureth [ nah lure EHTH], ''(noun)'' emotional capacity; the individual ability to cope with, stretch, give or handle emotional situations, carrying with it the understanding that each person's is different. Emotional health is measured in a person's nalureth. navel [ nah VEHL ], ''(noun)'' the unhappiness caused by disappointing one's parents, family or elders. Often considered the first moral feeling in children and the first sign of empathy. nelijzan [ neh lii JZAHN ], ''(verb)'' to deceive, purposefully; to put on a different face for the specific purpose of misleading someone. Derived from "lijzan", masks. nesthae [ nehs THAY ], ''(noun)'' exception; has unsavory connotations: ghost, demon, outside, unlike. Not quite alien, but contra-societal. nejzen [ ne JZEHN ], ''(noun)'' — Wall of Birth; the line separating those of Noble or Regal birth from those beneath it. nojzel [ noh JZEHL ], ''(noun)'' touch-points: these are specific zones or parts of the body that require specific permission (either under caste law or by individual permission) to be touched, and include points such as the nape of the neck, the face and the spine. Singular form is nojzeli. noshan ekain [ noh SHAHN eh KAYN ], ''(noun)'' funny story/stories (this word has no numbered form). An anecdote where the humor derives from something odd, absurd, strange or unexpected. This is the kind of story that you might start by saying, "So I was walking to work and the funniest thing happened to me..." nuil [ noo EEL ], ''(noun)'' a gratefulness that comes only from having a poison drained from one's spirit, a gratitude known most frequently from Correction. O osulked [ ah SOOL ked ], ''(noun, sing. osulkedi)'' minister; highest rank in Public Servant caste, with few members. Osulked serve Thirukedi (the Emperor) directly, but this is not their distinguishing characteristic, as all Ai-Naidar may be called to serve Him. Osulked are known by their service to anyone in the Empire who asks, no matter their rank or their location. They are often sent by Thirukedi to different communities to offer their services, if it is perceived those communities need special aid. P pad [ PAWD ], (noun) -- state (only refers to an individual's state) pad melesholi [ PAHD meh leh SHOH lee ], ''(noun)'' the receptive and restful mental state brought about by turning off the lights and accepting the cessation of activity. padetsek [ pah deh TSEHK ], ''(noun)'' Soul-Sickeness of all types. padisil [ pah dih SEEL ], (verb) -- bring into malleable-space; the people allowed to do this are rare, and this almost always refers to the part of Correction that involves easing a person into a state receptive to being Corrected and it requires the facilitation and guidance of someone else. padreme [ pah DREH meh ], (verb) -- to be reminded of one's natural state (this is cause for relief and comfort, and implies that you are grateful for the reminder). paisathi [ pah ee SAH thee ], ''(noun)'' when an inevitability comes into life, brought there by changes your spirit requires to grow. panaeth [ pah NAYTH ], (noun) -- trial-period; can be any length of time, but is common enough in many Ai-Naidari relationships and customs to have its own word. pashel [ paa SHELL ], (noun) -- trial-married; among Ai-Naidar it is common for there to be three stages of marriage: betrothed, where two are promised to one another; a trial marriage, which lasts anywhere from one month to several years, during which the two decide whether they are suited; and finally married until death's parting. Trial-marriages are more common among arranged pairings; during a trial, no children are begotten. A trial-marriage may be broken at any time by one of the parties with no shame. pauser [ pow SEHR ], ''(verb)'' to allow what must be, to be; to acquiesce without rancor, resentment or struggle. Often mistakenly translated by aliens with an implication of victimhood. pesi [ peh SEE ], (adverb) -- here (in this room). This connotation of here is very specifically within eye- and ear-shot. Q qek [ KEHK ], (verb) -- to slay a person's body qekast [ qeh KAHST ], ''(noun)'' identity (?). qepad [ KEH pahd ], (verb) -- to allow to lapse into its natural state qera [ QWARE ah ], (noun) -- quality of solving problems by applying pure effort at them. This is a quality considered the realm of adults in the prime of their power, and refers to those times when something seems completely insolvable until someone just keeps at it long enough and it seems to "give in" to the willpower of the person trying to solve it. qerish [ care IHSH ], ''(noun)'' all that is worth knowing/encompassing (deprecated; exists now only as part of the word for the Ai-Naidari empire, "Kherishdar," a compound formed from root 'qerish' and 'udar', society or nation). qet [ KEHT ], (noun) -- responsibility-defenselessness; quality describing the social duty one one has to another person based on your responsibility to them and how defenseless they are. To an adult, a child will have more qet than another adult. Most qet is relative based on caste and rank, but some qet is absolute (children and self, for instance). qetaim [ keh TIME ], (noun) -- acts, in particular those that involve advising, guidance, negotiation, thinking, refereeing; anything where the activity involves mental rigor, observation or language skills. Does not apply to hobbies or for-fun acts, only to acts that are obligations, duties or job/work-related qetaim nama [ qeh TIME nah MAA ], ''(noun)'' wisdom duties; the work expected of elders as they "retire" from more active physical duties. qunapesi [ koo NAA peh see ], (adjective) -- here; a virtual or abstract space. This word does not refer to a physical location, but a non-physical proximity. qupesi [ koo PEH see ], (adjective) -- here (in the same general vicinity); this might be outside of a room or outside of immediate view, but definitely within a city. R raikash [ RYE kaash ], (noun) -- victory rakadhas [ rah KAHD haas ], ''(noun)'' a person with an ishas that does not match his hhaza, his social position. A very rare occasion. renainen [ re NYE nehn ], ''(noun)'' — city walls; these are the walls that separate districts of the city from one another so that the Nobles and Regals who administrate them know the boundaries of their responsibilities. They are invariably low, usually hip-height: low enough for adults to easily converse, high enough to keep small children from wandering. revasil, [ reh vah SEEL ], ''(noun)'' a Correction; specifically used in instances where somone has transgressed against the rules of society and must be reminded how they are to act. Correction is not punishment, but an attempt to bring a person back in harmony with their ishas. revasil ekain [ reh vah seel eh KAIN ], (noun) -- Correction stories; using words or scenarios to Correct. ril [ reel ], (verb) -- to relieve oneself; this refers to any bodily need from hunger and thirst, to passing waste, to sexual requirement rulen [ ROO lehn ], ''(noun)'' bridges; anything that bridges or covers a gap, used lyrically or emotionally to evoke imagery or a feeling of bridging something. rulesh [ roo LEHSH ], (noun) -- reparations; separation from Correction, rulesh are intended to comfort or repair the breach between two people as a result of an error, and are often levied in addition to Correction. Singular form is ruleshi rusir [ roo SEER ], (verb) -- to give something of tangible value (as opposed to giving something of emotional/spiritual/intellectual value) S sasrith [ sahs REETH ], ''(noun)'' favors promised to balance a small trouble or debt: the word is often extended to refer to the token used to denote that favor; righting imbalances in the social give-and-take is part of hasmera. savre [ sah VREH ], (verb) -- confess savresil [ sah vreh SEEL ], (noun) -- confession sel [ sehl ], (verb) -- listen; in particular, to listen closely to another in order to connect with them and truly learn and understand their desires, needs, challenges and problems. Considered the foundation of personal relationships and society at large, this skill is so important that to be without it is to be less than human. sha [ SHAH ], (noun) -- light, has come to mean "natural light" (instead of artificial). shanul [ shah NOOL ], ''(noun)'' potable water. shavelan [ shah veh LAHN ], ''(noun)'' A blossom that falls of its own accord. Also, a fortuitous thing. shauve [ sh ow VEH ], (verb) -- to err (shamefully); suggests that the error has some kind of social or moral stigma attached shemena [ SHEH meh nah ], (noun) -- Maiden shevet [ sheh VEHT ], (noun) -- decorum; specifically, knowing when to ignore things that should be ignored, when not to call attention to things that shouldn't be called attention to, and when to pay attention to and call attention to necessary things. shevetdar [ sheh veht DAAR ], (noun) -- people with outstanding decorum (singular: shevetdari) shidar [ shih DAWR ], (noun) -- (singular: shidari) children, progeny; those who come after me. shim [ SHEEM ], (noun) -- motion; almost always used for emotional/spiritual motion, in the sense of a person changing or growing. This is usually considered an awkward, uncomfortable or painful process, but also ultimately an joyful one. Also used to describe a visual trope, in that the character/person in an illustration with the most motion is the one that is changing the most. This is often depicted as external motion (wind in hair or clothes) even if the character is not moving, as a symbol that they can't stop growing/changing even when they seem physically still. shimele [ SHEEM ehl EH ], (adjective) -- full of motion; almost always used for emotional/spiritual motion, in the sense of a person changing or growing. This is usually considered an awkward, uncomfortable or painful process, but also ultimately an joyful one. Also used to describe a visual trope, in that the character/person in an illustration with the most motion is the one that is changing the most. This is often depicted as external motion (wind in hair or clothes) even if the character is not moving, as a symbol that they can't stop growing/changing even when they seem physically still. shinje [ sheen JZEH ], (noun) -- soul-complement; someone who is shadow to your light/vice versa; someone who is so complementary to you that you compensate one another's weaknesses shiqera [ shih CARE ah ],'' (verb)'' to take care of; to parent; to mother. Most often used in a parental context, but not limited to that relationship. shol [ SHOHL ], ''(noun)'' breathpause. shove [ shoh VEH ], ''(verb)'' to worship. sim [ SEEM ], (verb) -- to be, to exist skevrada [ skehv rah DAH ], (verb) -- someone so arrogant they're completely sure they'll always hit what they aim to urinate on. Slang and rude male vocabulary T tainankest [ TYE naan KEHST ], (noun) -- A state of being outside society, to exist outside the system; to refuse civilization and your ishas and to attempt to be separate from all other Ai-Naidar. To be free, when freedom is isolation, loneliness and meaninglessness. To be unnamed. To not fit. A heinous, horrible thing. tainanpad [ ty naan PAHD ], (adj) -- emotionally disabled or incompetent; to be in a state where one is incapable of fulfilling one's duties or responsibilities or courtesies, or the ability to do so is impaired tan [ TAHN ], (noun) -- sun; antiquated, now has literary/spiritual overtones tansha [ tahn SHAH ], ''(adjective, informal)'' shiny; refers to cities which are “lights-free,” (do not observe meleshol) tanshani [ tahn SHAH nee ], ''(adjective)'' sunlit. tsan [ TSAAN ], (noun) -- heart-beat; a measure of subjective time tsara [ TSAA rah ], (noun) -- fortitude; in particular, the kind of strength that leads to serenity, associated with the gut. An "iron stomach," in the sense of being strong-enough-minded that few things penetrate your peace. tsarena [ tsaa REH nah ], (adverb) -- well; a connotation that things are as they should be, or are in their ideal state tsavai [ tsah VEYE ], (adjective) -- done, forgotten, has been emotionally put in the past... what one says of something that one has made peace with, that it's "done" as far as you're concerned, done hurting or influencing or changing you. Can also be used as an interjection: Done! Gone! Done! tsekil [ tseh KEEL ], ''(adjective)'' sick; refers only to soul-sicknesses. U udar [ oo DAHR ], ''(noun)'' society or nation. V vabanil [ vah bah NEEL ], (noun) -- Correction when effected with actions, rather than words. vamsaun [ vaam SON ], (verb) -- to stretch reality; roughly equivalent to lying, but with the connotation that in holding this belief, you are choosing to knowingly distort reality as you know it (this is different from unknowingly stretching reality, or denying it; vamsaun has a connotation of hoping to make something true just by deciding it will be). vanar [ vaa NAAR ], (verb) -- to arrive vanset [ VAHN seht ], (verb) -- to not call attention to something, which should not be called attention to vashkavr [ vahsh KAHVR ], ''(adjective)'' messed up; usually refers to a community substantially crippled by missing connections or broken ones. vauni haale nee HAA leh, ''(noun)'' an empty vessel used as a meditation aid; popularized by a historical poem that spoke of filling an empty vase with one's spirit so one could contemplate it from a remove. vasil [ vah SEEL ], (noun) -- to correct; specifically used in instances where somone has transgressed against the rules of society and must be reminded how they are to act. Correction is not punishment, but an attempt to bring a person back in harmony with their ishas. vaun [ VOWN ], (noun) -- objects of contemplation; a meditative aid. Can be anything, from a person to a vase. Something you fix your eye upon in order to calm yourself. Touchstone. vekka [ VEHK kah ], (noun) -- pilgrims; singular is vekkani vesh [ vehsh ], (adjective) -- contented veshem [ vehsh EHM ], (noun) -- contentment vetsen [ VEHT sehn ], (verb) -- to ignore something that should be ignored vulaij [ vfoo LEYEJZH ], (noun) -- ephiphany through crisis/breaking point vuler [ voo LEHR ], (noun) -- truth W X Y Z Category:Linguistics